Introduction
The recent surge in Korea in the entertainment industry has triggered tremendous interest from abroad (Marinescu, 2014). South Korea is coming up as a major exporter of popular culture, rivaling many Western countries like United States of America and Britain. Due to the growing acceptance and popularity of Korean pop culture as a valid form of entertainment, the government of South Korea has begun using this tool for soft power, as well as facilitating its entertainment sector. Hallyu is used to describe Korean drama, and it specifically refers to the dramas that have gained success in the Asian Overseas market (Howard, 2006). This paper looks into the Korean wave. What is the Hallyu? What has contributed to the success of Hallyu? What are the effects of Hallyu in the United States? What was the role of the government in the Korean wave? What are the catalysts for Hallyu? The essay also looks at the challenges facing the Korean wave.
What is Hallyu?
The Korean wave is based on various aspects of the culture of South Korea. The components include popular music, dramas, language, animated comics and films as well as cuisine. Much of the growth of the Korean wave was due to a tap into social networking services and the video sharing platform YouTube. YouTube allowed the leverage of the Korean entertainment industry’s ability to secure a large audience abroad, where it has stimulated a significant rise in the total absorption of its entertainment exports on the video streaming website (The Korean Wave, 2011). The use of social networks to facilitate the promotion, distribution, consumption of various forms of Korean entertainment has gained popularity in the United States.
What has contributed to the success of Hallyu?
The wave of Korean Culture kicked off in the late 1990’s, however in the last five years, the influence of Hallyu has been experienced in the United States. The financial crisis in the economy of South Korea led to shifting from manufacturing economy to entertainment industries. Moreover, the Ministry of Culture also increased the budget for cultural sector departments in universities throughout the nation. As a result, of these elaborate strategies, the cultural technology industry in South Korea flourished. Currently, media and entertainment exports from South Korea are at an alarming rate, not only in the United States but also globally (Sung, 2010). Despite the Hallyu spreading so fast, the US market remains the toughest for the Korean entertainment industry. This is because the popularity of K-Pop and Korean televisions and movies is confined to large cities.
Factors that facilitated the Korean wave
Social media has been pivotal in the spread of Korean wave in the United States. Since late 2007, the Hallyu phenomenon has experienced a tremendous popularity with the growth of social media platforms (Lee &, Nornes, 2015). Korea had made innovations in SNSs like Cyworld and smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy, which have been key contributors of Hallyu. Online gaming has also been a contributing factor to the spread of Korean wave in the United States. Another channel that has greatly helped in the spread of K-Pop and other cultural genres is the Western-based social media platforms and smartphones. The Korean online game industry has established itself and gained physical status as an empire in the cultural sector, and this has made it be one of the most important exported cultural products of Korea. The tremendous growth of social media has been one of the greatest catalysts in the Korean wave.
Role of Government in Hallyu
The Government was also actively involved in the growth of the Korean culture. According to Howard (2006), the Korean Culture and Information Center played an essential role because it published reports about the Korean wave, K-Pop, K-drama, and K-movie. The publications explained the success of the Korean Wave in other countries and also introduced the aspects of Hallyu to people who did not know about them. The government sees the wave as a source of revenue, and the government wants to use the Hallyu to benefit the economy, and it has put in place measure that will support the Hallyu. To make this succeed, the government made all television networks on Korean television government owned. By doing so, the government had more influence on what type of movies and television shows that the people were creating. It could also control what messages people were receiving through the radio.
Catalysts of Hallyu
Pop idols lead to the insurgence of Korean wave across the region. The likes of Psy have played a crucial role in showing to the rest of the world what Korean Culture entails. The popularity of the Hallyu phenomenon is due to the hard work and meticulous online marketing that the pop groups use (Howard, 2006). The success lies in their training as they undergo years of dynamic vocal and dance training before they perform on stage. The talent agencies are quick to utilize maximally the online platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. The idols have consistent communications with the fans; they appear online frequently and are considerate of what the fans think. The idols also try hard to speak local languages when greeting their fans.
Effects of Hallyu in the United States
In the United States, the Hallyu’s influence is impressive. The effects are characterized by Korean music, movies, food, fashion, hairstyles and other media products. The impact of Hallyu is felt by both Korean transnational and non-Korean Americans. Moreover, the Hallyu had made Americans take actions to approach the Korean culture. Hallyu made ethnic identity, media, and cultural invasion among the Americans. Indeed, Koreans are seen as minorities; but the Hallyu phenomenon will benefit the transnational in the United States by bridging the cultural gap. It will make others familiar with Korean culture, and it will also provide the Koreans with a psychological refuge that will help them feel secure and become better adjusted to the host society. According to In Chua, et al, (2008), the emergence of Hallyu cultural phenomenon has increased cultural familiarity, psychological closeness, and intercultural communication among communities which have enhanced interaction and relationships. In the US, the Korean wave created a sense of affiliation with the Korean culture among non-Korean Americans.
Challenges facing the Korean wave
The Korean wave has had tremendous growth, and it has been a success in the US. However, the Korean creative industries are faced with challenges. One of the main issues is the illegal distribution of cultural products and software. The other challenge is resistance from some members of the society who think that it will fade within five years.
Conclusion
All in all, Hallyu phenomenon has been massive in the United States and has created new cultural tourism in the world. The pop idols and the exploitation of social media platforms are the key drivers of Hallyu. The Hallyu has not only invaded the media of United States but also the culture of the American. The people of America are inclined to Korean culture and have even shown interest in learning the Korean culture (In Marinescu, 2014). The Hallyu phenomenon has helped the economy of South Korea through export of cultural products, music, online gaming, and movies. Moreover, the Hallyu has changed the notion that Koreans are minorities by bridging the cultural gap which has favored the transnational living in the United States.
References
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In Chua, B. H., & In Iwabuchi, K. (2008). East Asian pop culture: Analyzing the Korean wave. (HKU Press digital editions.) Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
In Lee, S., & In Nornes, M. (2015). Hallyu 2.0: The Korean wave in the age of social media.
In Marinescu, V. (2014). The global impact of South Korean popular culture: Hallyu unbound.
Kim, D. K., & Kim, M.-S. (2011). Hallyu: Influence of Korean popular culture in Asia and beyond. Seoul: Seoul National University Press.
Sung, S.-Y. (July 01, 2010). Constructing a New Image. Hallyu in Taiwan. European Journal of East Asian Studies, 9, 1, 25-45.
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